The Coronavirus: How Good is Coming From Bad

Mar 27, 2020

When we go through times that are bad, it often the time we also see the good.

And that’s exactly what we are seeing every day here in San Diego and across the country.

The San Diego COVID-19 Community Response Fund at The San Diego Foundation has received more than $6.2 million dollars in donations so far and the fund is growing thanks to contributions from individuals and organizations, large and small.

And as you’ve heard and seen reported, there are countless stories of neighbors helping neighbors, forming teams of rotating shoppers who buy for others in their neighborhood who are older and at greater risk if they were to get the virus.

And there are stories of people who have been laid off by businesses that have been forced to shut down going to their mailbox and finding 100-dollar bills or gift cards sealed in an envelope signed with no name but a message that reads “from a friend to help you through.”

And then there are those stories about former customers of their favorite restaurants dropping off checks and gift cards to help make up for the income the servers and cooks have suddenly lost.

And there are the stories of families who are forced to stay apart finding ways to be together on FaceTime and Skype and friends and families who are normally thousands of miles more apart than social distancing guidelines who are now spending a lot more time talking with each other,maybe more than they ever have.

The coronavirus pandemic will eventually pass, but let’s hope the goodness we’re seeing in people infects us all for a long time.